


Under a Waxing Moon

by summerborn



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, First Kiss, M/M, MWPP Era, Romance, snupin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-12-02
Updated: 2006-12-02
Packaged: 2017-10-27 23:55:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/301486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summerborn/pseuds/summerborn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in 1976 or so, just days before The Prank. While Remus waits for Severus on the Hogwarts lawn, Severus struggles with issues of trust.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under a Waxing Moon

**Author's Note:**

> Written for lj: lotrwariorgodss as part of the 2006 lj: lupin_snape Snupin Santa exchange. I owe a debt to my wonderful betas!
> 
> [http://summerborn.dreamwidth.org/profile](http://summerborn.dreamwidth.org/profile/)

-:-

"You _what?!_ " Severus Snape stared in horror at the boy in front of him.

"Come on, Severus!" Regulus dropped his bag on the floor of the common room and looked up at Severus. "They're always playing pranks on you. I just thought--I thought it would be nice to give them a taste of their own medicine."

"But--" Severus ran a hand through his hair. _This was bad. This was very, very bad._ "But didn't you consider..." What was he saying? Of course, Regulus Black never stopped to consider all the consequences. And he could hardly confess that he did, in fact, care what Remus Lupin thought of him. _Because he didn't. Of course not._

"I thought you'd be pleased, Severus. I mean, what could go wrong? If Lupin falls for it, he'll be waiting out by the lake all night. If he doesn't, then no harm done."

No harm done. Right. "The problem," he growled, clenching his hands into fists, "is that you made it sound like I would actually want to meet him!"

Regulus frowned. "So what? _He's_ the poof. Everyone knows that you're not queer."

And that was the problem, of course. Severus had done a good job playing the nice, normal, heterosexual Slytherin in his attempts to fit in--too good. Regulus knew him better than anyone, and even he didn't suspect that Severus wasn't straight. Because of that, Remus was going to be standing outside in January, possibly for hours--and he'd blame Severus for it, no doubt about it. That is, if he even showed up at all.

With a last snarl at Regulus, Severus swirled and stormed out of the Slytherin common room. _Surely he wouldn't stay out there too long? He knows enough to come in out of the cold,_ an anxious little voice whispered in Severus' mind.

 _Or maybe he won't show up at all. Maybe he's having a good laugh over Regulus' message with Potter and Black, right now._ This was the voice Severus hated--the bitter, insulting voice that hexed first and asked questions later. He stopped in the empty corridor, halfway to the stairs that led to the main level.

What _would_ Remus Lupin do, if told that Severus was going to come meet him at the lake late at night? He'd never shown the slightest bit of interest in Severus, but he tended to fade into the background whenever Potter and Black were around. The unnoticeable one, that was Lupin--except that Severus _had_ noticed him, and wondered what the boy was like away from his Gryffindor pack.

Tonight could be his chance to find out. All he had to do was take the chance that Lupin had shared the message with his friends, and that they were all there waiting to ambush him when he showed up, believing the lie that Severus wanted to meet Remus alone. Of course, he wasn't so sure that was a lie any more. The question was, did he dare?

His steps echoed softly down the corridor as he began moving toward the stairs, more purposefully than before.

-:-

There was a figure standing down by the lake, apparently alone.

Severus, several meters away, could just make out the shape of a single person against the faint reflections of moonlight on the lake's surface. He _thought_ it was just one person, but all the other three Gryffindors would need to do was sit or lie down, and they'd be invisible in the darkness. _And they did have a habit of seeming invisible at just the right moments,_ Severus thought darkly.

He stood, peering out from behind a particularly large tree, and watched the figure for a few long minutes. He stared so hard that his eyes lost the silhouette and he had to blink rapidly to make it out again. _Still just one person._

Suddenly the figure was outlined in a bright, almost white light, and Severus realized that whoever it was had cast Lumos. The figure turned slightly, and Severus had just enough time to recognize Remus Lupin before the light disappeared.

He'd also had the chance to see anyone on the ground near Lupin, if there had been anyone to see. But there was no one.

"You can come and join me, Severus." Lupin's soft voice carried in the stillness of the night. "I'm alone."

With a scowl, Severus came out from behind the tree and picked his way down the grassy slope. "How did you know I was there?"

Remus smiled in the dim light from the water. "Good nose."

Severus stopped a few feet away and looked at the other boy carefully.

"Why are you here, Lupin?"

A shrug. "Regulus said you wanted to meet me here."

"And you trusted Regulus?"

"No." Remus sounded amused. "But I figured it was worth a shot. If it turned out to be some sort of trick, I could have lived with it." He took a step towards Severus, and Severus' stomach tightened uncomfortably. What was Lupin doing? "And anyway, it wasn't a trick."

 _Yes, it was,_ Severus wanted to say. But maybe it was better to let Lupin believe that he had wanted to meet him down here. "So why did you come to meet me?"

Remus took another step toward him, and Severus fought the urge to back up. They were close enough now that he could have reached out and touched Remus' cheek--not that he had any desire to do any such thing. Of course not.

"I guess I wanted to see what you were going to say," Remus said. "Or... do."

"Do?"

Remus took yet another step, and really, he was far too close for comfort now. Severus opened his mouth to demand to know what did he think he was doing, and then Remus was leaning in and his eyes were closing and he had much longer lashes than any boy should have, Severus noticed, and then they were touching. At the lips. Remus Lupin was pressing his lips against Severus', and that was the definition of a kiss, wasn't it? Remus Lupin was _kissing_ him. Should he do something? Yes.

Severus jumped back, pushing roughly at Remus' shoulder. "What the hell--!"

Remus' eyes flew open and he blinked in apparent confusion. "I--" His mouth opened and closed again.

"What do you think you're _doing,_ Lupin?!" Severus' heart was thundering in his chest, and he could feel his cheeks reddening. Thank Merlin it was dark. How dare Lupin think... wait, what did Lupin think? "I'm not some sort of..." _Poofter. Shirtlifter. Queer._

"Not the sort of boy who meets other boys secretly in the middle of the night?"

"No!" Severus scowled, hoping Remus could see it. "It's not a secret, anyway--Regulus knows."

Remus sighed and looked away. "I thought--God, this is embarrassing."

Severus waited.

"I thought that maybe--you were looking for--for the same thing that I am." Remus spoke quietly, but his words carried in the still night air.

Severus blinked. "What are you looking for?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Remus asked.

Unconsciously, Severus brought a hand up to his mouth, his fingertips brushing against his lip. Remus _had_ kissed him--but perhaps that had just been because he thought Severus wanted him to. It would be just like Remus to do what he thought someone else expected.

Remus was watching him, and Severus was tempted to tell him that no, it bloody well was _not_ obvious... but then he started to remember the way Remus looked at him sometimes, and that first day of Herbology this year when he'd actually apologized about The Incident after OWLs... they'd been partners in class for months, but Severus had never seriously thought that Remus would want anything more.

"If Potter and Black find out, they'll turn on you for sure."

Remus shook his head, never taking his eyes from Severus'. "I doubt it," he said, "but the consequences for you could be unpleasant."

Severus didn't know if Remus was referring to Potter and Black, or the potential reaction from the rest of Slytherin House, but either way he was correct.

"So we keep it to ourselves," he said. Actually, the idea was rather attractive--Severus liked secrets, and he was damned good at keeping them.

"Does that mean..." Remus looked hopeful, now.

In answer, Severus stepped forward and reached out to touch Remus' cheek. He had no idea what to do, but maybe he could fake it and maybe Remus wouldn't notice the slight tremor in his hand.

Remus closed his eyes, and Severus took that as a good sign. He leaned closer to the other boy, tilting his head slightly to avoid bumping, and brought his lips together in a slight pucker just as they came in contact with Remus' lips. Remus seemed to melt against him. Alarmed, Severus brought his other hand up to Remus' waist, ready to catch him if he fell, but the other boy responded by grabbing hold of his shoulders and pressing his mouth more firmly against Severus', lips parting gently.

Severus may not have ever kissed anyone before, but he recognized an invitation when he saw one. He used the hand cupping Remus' cheek to angle his head up a bit, and then let his own mouth open slightly. A little movement--so--and Severus could taste Remus. It was intoxicating. He slid his tongue forward, eager but still hesitant, felt Remus' tongue moving against his. His hand tightened on Remus' waist, the back of his neck, as the kiss went on, and Severus didn't know how he had lived this long without kissing Remus Lupin.

Finally, he drew back, feeling strangely shy. Remus still had his eyes closed, but after a moment those long lashes fluttered and Remus looked up at him.

"I should go," Severus murmured. He wasn't quite ready to suggest anything more tonight, even though his body might have been.

Remus let his hands slide down Severus' arms to his hands. "When can we meet again?"

Severus felt his chest constrict. "Friday night? I can send Regulus again." He'd have to make sure Regulus kept quiet, but the boy owed him a few favors.

"No--not Friday." Remus glanced upward, and Severus followed his gaze, baffled, but there was only the waxing moon above them. "I'll--I'll let you know when. Saturday, I hope." He squeezed Severus' hands, as if to reassure him, and Severus nodded slowly.

They stood like that for another long moment. Suddenly Remus leaned up and gave him a quick kiss, the briefest brush of lips, but before Severus could respond he broke off and moved away, heading toward Gryffindor Tower. Severus shivered--when had it got so cold?--and turned to go back to his own dorm. Tonight, a few kisses and a cold shower, but Saturday... who knew what might happen? He almost smiled as he climbed into bed. He felt-- _alive_.

-:-

It was no wonder, later, that Severus believed Remus was in on everything.

-:-


End file.
